Found a working Sega CD at a flea market but it has a weird problem

I was at a flea market outside Nashville about two weeks ago and spotted a Sega CD model 2 sitting on a table for $30. The guy said he tested it and it powered on but he couldn't get any games to load. I took a gamble and bought it. When I got it home I hooked everything up to my Genesis and sure enough the disc spins but it keeps giving me a read error. I opened it up and noticed the laser mechanism looks like it's sticking on the rails a bit. I tried cleaning the lens with a q-tip and alcohol but no luck. Has anyone dealt with a Sega CD that won't read discs? I'm wondering if it's worth trying to replace the laser assembly or if there's some other common issue I should look at first.

2 comments

2 Comments

carr.willow9d ago

Used to think belts weren't a big deal but you might be onto something.

sanchez.mia9d ago

Check if the drive belt is loose or stretched out. Those Sega CD model 2s have a belt that spins the disc and if it gets worn down it'll cause read errors even when the laser looks fine. I had one that would spin but couldn't keep up the speed and it threw the same error. Did you notice if the disc is spinning at a steady speed when you close the lid?